Summer Sabbatical
Press notes and fashion finds from Porto
For All Seasons has taken a sabbatical of sorts as I have been travelling for several exciting stories. The first of which is not one story, but five, from the dream destination of Porto, in Portugal, for Condé Nast Traveller.
Porto is a vibrant city with its story told as much by the many azulejo tiles decorating its churches as by those dancing under the Dom Luís I Bridge (after a few too many port tastings), and the sombre fado music that plays as the nights fade away.
I write all about this in a collective story on The Best Things To Do In Porto. But as it pertains to this style-focused newsletter, I’d like to point out some of the best shopping, and aesthetic inspiration, I found along the way.
Armazem Dos Linhos
As I mentioned in my review of Hospes Infante Sagres, one of my best finds in Porto was the Armazem Dos Linhos pop-up store (on Praça D. Filipa de Lencastre 103), which sells traditional and charming Portuguese fabrics by the metre, or via tablecloths, napkins, shirts, shorts and bags. I purchased the Pombalino pattern shirt and shorts in a vine-green, and it was great for wearing around the city on my non-stop research days, as well as for relaxing at the hotel with a book (more on that to follow).
Labels of Tomorrow
Tucked away on an in-the-know local street (at R. de José Falcão 144), LOT - Labels of Tomorrow is a modern, micro department store in a historic building with beautifully presented displays, with a mix of Portuguese, Brazilian and Spanish labels, and an upstairs café and outdoor terrace for early-afternoon drinks.
Claus Porto
On the Rua des Flores, Claus Porto is a luxury soap and fragrance company that pays homage to this area’s connection to the traditional saboaria. This creative space showcases soaps wrapped in art nouveau packaging, and kept under cloches like candles, which the store also stocks.
Livraria Lello
One of the most beautiful bookstores in the world (and, as such, attracting large crowds), Livraria Lello operates on a ticket system (€10), which can be redeemed on the purchase of a book. It’s worth thinking ahead on what you’d like to pick up from the carved bookshelves – with a stained glass ceiling casting a curious light and a grand sweeping staircase with editor’s red steps, there are lots of distractions here. I recommend the small, special edition of Love of Perdition, which was written by Simão Botelho while in Porto's Court Prison just up the road. I always base my holiday reading on where I am visiting, as this makes for an even more moving read.
Church of Santa Clara
Inspiration is really all around in Porto. My favourite sites in the city are the Azeljo tiled churches, and the São Bento train station that anyone can walk into and view. The churches each charge a premium, and if you only visit one, I would suggest the Church of Santa Clara (Igreja de Santa Clara). It’s on a quiet street by the Dom Luís I Bridge and is a masterpiece of gilt woodwork from the Oporto School of Wood Carvers. It also allows the taking of (non-flash photography), unlike the others.
Serrvales Museum
If you visit only one Museum, make it the Serralves Contemporary Art Museum. It’s a little out of the city centre, but your Uber journey will be rewarded with art set in a beautiful park and timely exhibitions in the palatial pink Serralves Villa, designed by Pritzker-prize-winning architect Álvaro Siza Vieira.
Foz do Douro
If you have more than a long weekend in Porto, I recommend taking the scenic old-school train to the Foz do Douro, an exclusive suburb where a tree-lined esplanade passes several small, scallop-shell-shaped beaches that start with a line of bars and cafeterias before golden sands (and sunbathers) fan out to the sea. You can read more about the swim spots in my article: The Best Beaches Near Porto
Vila Foz Restaurant
Porto is synonymous with port – a fortified wine that is sweet and rich, and is best sipped as an aperitif or digestif with dessert. So, how does one fill the void in between? Fortunately, Porto is brimming with elevated cafés, epicurean wine bars and innovative fine dining restaurants that will keep you busy from noon to night. In a resplendently restored dining room at the Vila Foz, this Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant is inspired by the Atlantic Ocean that crashes to the shore nearby. But I tried the Novo Mundo menu – a ‘new world’ journey where vegetarian dishes are given the respect they so deserve, from an organic nest egg from a Preta Lusitânica (a traditional Portuguese chicken) sprinkled with São Jorge Island cheese aged for 24 months, to fresh beetroot served with raspberry and balsamic. Read more about this restaurant, and many more, in my article: The Best Restaurants in Porto
Where to Rest Your Head
I stayed at five hotels for my reviews while in Porto (and visited 15 others for fact checking), and, in my opinion, the coolest in the city is The Largo, right on the bustling Rua das Flores, with calming modernist interiors and with one of the best restaurants in town. The best new opening, in my opinion, is Tivoli Kopke (pictured) on the same site as the oldest port wine house in Gaia – but with a plush new spa and a pool with sweeping views back to Porto city. If you are inspired to take a trip, make sure you read up on: The Best Hotels in Porto.
Next Time on For All Seasons…
As the European summer continues to call, I will be sharing an interview with a Paris-based designer who has worked at the leading French maisons, and a newly published story of mine that looks inside Coco Chanel’s holiday home – where time stands still – on the French Riviera.
This will be followed in the coming weeks with an account of one of the most exciting fashion exhibitions in the world right now, on the ‘grandfather of Couture’. And, an interview with a New Zealand designer who is celebrating a milestone anniversary, before New Zealand Fashion Week. I hope you care to join!